


if i had the courage of a lion, i'd call your name (request)

by redbirb



Series: Tumblr Requests 2020 [7]
Category: DCU, DCU (Comics), Red Robin (Comics), Teen Titans (Comics)
Genre: Angst and Feels, Angst and Romance, Angst with a Happy Ending, Love Confessions, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-05
Updated: 2020-11-18
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:36:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27408940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redbirb/pseuds/redbirb
Summary: It’s his defense mechanism. How can someone shatter your heart if they have no tool to break it?And yet he still bleeds.
Relationships: Bart Allen/Tim Drake
Series: Tumblr Requests 2020 [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1971637
Comments: 3
Kudos: 110





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was a request I got on tumblr from anon : _"Hi! If you’re still doing requests I wouldn’t mind if you did something Tim-centric maybe some angst (?)... maybe some not so unrequited feelings (whichever pairing you want)"_
> 
> I was in a mood for TimBart so here it is! More angsty than anything, I really do love these two.

Tim is very good at lying.

You’re talking to the kid that lies to _Batman_. He’s become a master at spinning tales and weaving webs of lies that even he has trouble navigating through at times, trying to remember the line between truth and fabrication. No one needs to know his truth, no one needs a key to unlock his box of secrets.

It’s his defense mechanism. How can someone shatter your heart if they have no tool to break it?

And yet he still bleeds.

“What do you think, Tim?”

He blinks, like waking from a dream, staring back curious eyes. “Think about what?”

“This,” Bart thrusts the magazine into his face, nearly going cross-eyed as he accesses the image infront of him. “Isn’t she cute? I like the short hair a lot, but ponytails are cute on girls too.”

“I guess. It’s just hair.”

Bart laughs like he’s told a funny joke. Does Bart like his hair? He used to cut it short, sometimes buzzed, but he liked it long too, where the ends tickled his chin when he looked down. Tim doesn’t care, he’s never cared about the details (he does, he notices too much, cares too much).

“Well what do you look for in a girl?”

 _Pretty eyes._ He thinks, doesn’t even have to really when the image is right there. _Wild curls. Someone I can talk nonsense to for hours. Someone to laugh with, someone to cry with._

“Understanding.”

Bart scrunches his nose in that cute way of his. “What does that mean?”

“It just feels,” searching for a word that can emphasize what he wants to convey,” better when someone knows you.”

“Oh yeah. Yeah, I get that! That was deeper than I meant, dude.”

“Isn’t that what relationships are supposed to be?”

“Mm, not sure. I guess I just don’t really think about it. When you like someone you just like them, you know?”

Tim doesn’t (he does).

“Why are you talking about this with me? This is a Kon topic.”

“Hey, you’re my bestfriend too! And, uh, you give better advice.”

Tim tries to ignore the lurch in his heart, a painful ball of lead threatening to cave his chest in. He doesn’t want to ask, he doesn’t want to care (he does, he _does_ ).

“What kind of advice? Did you piss Cassie off again?”

“No! I just… well, you ever just can’t stop thinking of someone?”

 _Yeah._ “Maybe.”

“They just run through your head all day and every little thing makes you think of them, and you want to talk to them all the time and-”

“Bart,” he reaches over a book to where Bart is sitting on the floor next to him,” you’re speedster talking again.”

A touch of color makes a smattering of freckles pop out. “Sorry. It’s just, I really like them and I don’t know what to do. It’s not like with Cissie or - or anyone.”

It shouldn’t hurt. He has no right to be scared of this moment, of every moment that’ll come after. He has no claim to Bart or his feelings or his heart.

_Then why is it tearing me apart._

“Never know what’ll happen until you tell them.”

And that’s why he’ll never say a thing.

\---

Bart smiles secretively, turning away from Tim. He doesn’t care about the girl on the magazine cover or getting back with an ex. He may be a speedster, but Tim has been running through his mind all the damn time. He’s scared, but he wants the other to know. Maybe…

Maybe he should just take the advice.


	2. and so i roared

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Tim?” Tentative, reaching out a hand to touch the soft fabric of a shirt. “Got a minute for me?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> his was a request I got on tumblr from an anon : " _oh gosh that timbart you wrote was just. so good. if you'd feel like continuing that it would be lovely. thank you so much tho timbart makes me Feel Things andtheres not enough of it and you did it so much justice_ "
> 
> I do loooove me some TimBart. I'm happy to find other people love them too!

Bart is nervous.

He’s not that good at approaching certain topics, past romances aside, that sweet talk is not very natural. He wasn’t exactly taught about this kind of thing, as awesome as Max had been as a mentor figure. Girls were easier to talk to : they already had love in their mind, knew all the pretty words, a memorized song and dance.

Tim is an anomaly.

It took Bart some time to know how to approach him, how to befriend him, how to listen and understand him. Now he was a treasured part of his life, his friend and teammate.

“Tim?” Tentative, reaching out a hand to touch the soft fabric of a shirt. “Got a minute for me?”

The keyboard tapping stops, a tired gaze finding his, a small smile greeting him. “Yeah, I’m always here. You okay?”

“Me? I’m okay, I’m always okay, youknowme -”

“Bart, you’re vibrating.”

He takes a moment to collect himself, to stop turning into a blur right before Tim’s very eyes. Of course he’s okay (for now). If he’s a little jittery, well, that’ll be explained in a minute.

“I just - well, remember yesterday?”

It takes Tim a long moment to ponder. They had spent most of the day together with the team, handling a mild city crisis then team training exercises and reviewing updated reports sent from the Justice League. That night… they’d been alone with some down time.

“Oh,” the smile twitches downwards momentarily, a less genuine line drawn across Tim’s mouth at the recollected memory. “Did you talk to that person yet?”

“Yes and no,” Bart says cryptically. He amends himself when Tim’s eyes narrow at him. “I have.”

“What did they say?” Curiosity and impending heartbreak fighting for space in Tim’s chest. He’ll support Bart no matter where his heart lies.

“I didn’t ask them the important question yet.”

“Wait, why not? So you _didn’t_ tell them?”

Bart takes a deep breath and mentally crosses his fingers for good luck.

“I like you a lot please be my boyfriend!”

A blurted declaration. An avalanche of emotion falling across Tim’s face. Bart’s heart threatened to beat fast enough to burst out of his chest with the power of the speed force.

“Are… are you practicing on me?”

“No,” quickly spoken, hands flailing in desperation. “I’m telling the person - I’m telling _you_.”

And the minute it takes Tim’s eyes to go wide, the slow dawning of ‘ _oh. oh!_ ’ is almost worth the painfully scary moment Bart is kept waiting. Tim searches his eyes for the truth, a possible joke, hesitation in the hitch of his breath.

“The person was me,” and Tim’s mouth wobbles back into a smile. “I can’t believe it.”

“Don’t say that. That’s not a yes or no! That’s not even a maybe.”

Bart starts to vibrate again, the tapping of his foot a rapid blur he tries to control. His nerves are all over the place, watching for any sign of regret or rejection. He’ll bolt the second he sees it, he’ll have to because he can’t fathom not bursting into tears if he’s outright unwanted. He doesn’t want to make Tim feel bad for not wanting him, doesn’t want anyone to see the shame that would leak down his face.

“Bart,” hands cup his face, silencing the doubt and the crushing fear. “I thought you were talking about someone else.”

“I wasn’t,” he breathes out, quiet as if it were a secret (and for a time it had been).

Tim kisses his cheek then, sweet and affection, color flourishing across both their faces at the action. If Bart could fly like Kon, he’d be floating from happiness.

“I’m relieved,” Tim admits. “I was going to support you no matter what, but I’m glad it’s me.”

“No other birdbrain I’d rather love.”

A snort and Tim squishes his cheeks in retaliation. And yeah, this was good advice to follow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you've made it this far, thanks for reading! :) I'm currently working on and taking requests over on my [tumblr](https://rainbowredrobin.tumblr.com/). Follow me for sneak peaks to chapters and other writing stuff. Feel free to ask me questions or tell me what you think!
> 
>  **I am accepting fic requests until Nov. 20th 2020!** You can find the post explaining how it works [HERE](https://rainbowredrobin.tumblr.com/post/629633548447612928/requests-are-open-for-an-undetermined-amount-of).

**Author's Note:**

> If you've made it this far, thanks for reading! :) I'm currently working on and taking requests over on my [tumblr](https://rainbowredrobin.tumblr.com/). Follow me sneak peaks to chapters and other writing stuff. Feel free to ask me questions or tell me what you think!
> 
> As of 11/5/2020 I am still taking writing requests! You can find the post explaining how it works [HERE](https://rainbowredrobin.tumblr.com/post/629633548447612928/requests-are-open-for-an-undetermined-amount-of).


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